Earlier this year, Abdul Waheed, a Pakistani human rights activist and social entrepreneur, was shot dead by the Taliban. Waheed was known for his work in transforming Pakistan's education system; through his organisation Bright Education Society (BES), he worked towards ensuring that Pakistan's urban poor had access to modern education.

The government's response to Waheed's death was lukewarm. In countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and India, there are echoes of Waheed's story for those working in the social sector; extrajudicial killings, distrust in institutions and a constant fight against the political system. Without strong support from government, one thing is clear - an increasing number of social entrepreneurs are struggling to identify the best possible way to engage with the government.

The deep disconnect

"The biggest challenge that I have faced is that the government does not understand the nature of work I do," said Dr. Latha Anantha, "The government always looks at issues in a simplistic way and fails to see the bigger picture."

Dr. Anantha's organisation, the River Research Centre, plans and manages the use of water resources and intervenes at the policy level for the long-term sustenance of river basins. Over the past year, the centre has seen to driving key policy changes that protects and manages the waters of the Chalakudy river basin.

In India, social entrepreneurs like Dr. Anantha are faced not only with the herculean task of working with the government, but trying to earn the trust of local communities. Though the government has been slowly opening doors to the sector and embracing new ideas for development, a corrupt and complex political system often poses challenges that entrepreneurs are not ready for.

Bastu Rege, founder of Santulan, an organisation that works for the rights of informal stone quarry workers in India, faces a unique challenge. "In our case, the people we are working for have been excluded from the Indian system. Although it is the prime responsibility of the government to provide basic facilities for citizens, these communities are not recognized under any government scheme, record or census," he said. "Since they don't fit into any political agenda, it is hard for us to approach policy makers, government officials or political leaders and make them understand that this is an important issue".

Collaborative solutions

For decades, the social sector and the government in India have worked on a parallel, often looking at development exclusively. This struggle has now reached a crucial point of discussion this year, with more social entrepreneurs raising discussions within the academia and the public sphere on how they could make the government an ally. For entrepreneur-activists like Bastu Rege, whose work largely involves directly working with the government to bring about a change in national policy to benefit stone quarry workers, there is no option but to push for change.

In a few India states, the government is slowly opening doors. Jeevika, a program that is supported by the World Bank and the Government of Bihar is a good example. The community-based platform allows promising social innovators access to financial capital. Yet, there are several challenges that lie ahead for entrepreneurs to leverage this opportunity. As one of the most backward states in terms of economic progress, the government has, for long, ignored areas that seem too complex. For instance, large parts of Bihar remain un-electrified even over 65 years of independence. It is enterprises such as Desi Power, Husk Power Systems and Saran Renewable Energy that are now coming forward to help bridge this gap and address the failures of the government.

Building partnerships

The answer lies in not looking at the government merely as an institution but to engage with it as an agent. In countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Brazil, there is also a deep rift in trust between the social sector and the government. "Understanding how the government works in India is a challenge. And this makes it more difficult for young social entrepreneurs,' Dr. Anantha said.

"They seem quite disconnected from social reality. There's a danger in being young and apolitical as young people have to learn to care for the government and understand their role within it."

Her views reflect the larger truth that there is a new generation of young social entrepreneurs who are in a state of flux when it comes to taking on social challenges that will involve sensitive issues such as human rights violations, corruption, women and sexual rights.

For social entrepreneurs, the best way forward is to work on building this trust early on instead of avoiding key decisions that will help create a strong support system for their work. Co-owning change and making sure that engaging with government bodies, be it local or national, is a dialectical process.

"It is important to keep in mind that what you are working towards is for the larger community. You are not doing it for yourself. Therefore, we need to try the best possible ways to mobilise people towards pushing for change," Bastu Rege said.

"If you are persistent enough, someone will listen." Today, his organisation has succeeded in working with the Government of Maharashtra to set up a committee to study if education programs can be regularised or grants can be allocated to migrants in Maharashtra. These small successes stand testimony to the fact that one reaps rewards when one identifies that the cause is bigger than the problem.